Ends of the Earth
by skwirelygurli
Summary: Ally helps Austin audition for a role in a movie. He's jealous of her new friend. Auslly.


**Ends of the Earth, an Austin and Ally oneshot**

**I do not own Austin and Ally. Thank you fingers—interlocked for your assistance. Please enjoy and leave reviews!**

Running lines doesn't equate to exercise, yet her heart is racing like her feet have traveled to the ends of the earth and back. That's how far he said he would love her.

Why can't real life be a movie script, edited to perfection?

Because then it wouldn't be real.

"The earth has no end," she replies. "It's a sphere, it never stops."

He sets his script on the table, taking a step closer. Tossing her copy of the script aside for her, he takes her hands, and then another step.

"Exactly."

Her breath catches. Now's the part where they're supposed to kiss. Something deep, something passionate.

Something that will send her heart soaring, only to have it drop as the realization sets in. It's not real.

The higher they are, the harder they fall.

He leans forward, ready to pucker. "That was really good. You'll do great with your audition."

Was that an agitated grunt? No, no, her ears betrayed her. Compliments don't merit agitated grunts.

"Thanks." Her hands get released. "Should we run it again?"

"Let's get lunch first."

_(the audition)_

Jiggling his leg, he leans forward in his chair. Her hand settles on his knee, silently begging him to stop.

Aloud, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Austin Moon, you're next."

She stands with him and wraps her arms around his neck, whispering comforting words in his ear. He squeezes her tighter, and the man coughs to get his attention. They separate.

Sitting back down, her eyes follow him through the door. A boy sitting three seats over closes the distance between them.

"Boyfriend's first audition?"

"We're just friends," she explains. This has been happening more frequently as of late, people assuming that they're together. Just because they hug, and whisper, and her heart races, that doesn't mean they're together. No matter how badly she wants to be.

He chuckles like something is funny. "I'm Delbert Lane."

"Ally Dawson." Gripping the outstretched hand, she notices the smoothness of his hands. It's not like Austin's calloused fingertips.

"Are you going to audition for the part of Leslie? Because I think that you and I could have some great chemistry." Feeling that he's overstepped his boundaries, he backtracks. "Onscreen that is."

Her hair is not going in her mouth. Don't chew on those strands, no matter how cute the boy is.

Tossing the hair in her fist behind her shoulder, she shakes her head. "I'm here for emotional support."

"Solely his?"

"He's the only person that I know here."

"You know me."

So when Austin comes out and the man calls for Delbert, Ally stands again, hugging him good luck.

He kisses her cheek, and she feels tingles.

Onscreen nothing.

This attraction is real.

_(the Sonic Boom)_

Stuffing the remainder of her peanut butter sandwich in her mouth before anyone catches her eating in the store, anyone being Austin, preoccupied with a pretty girl that isn't her, she stoops down to throw away the baggie.

A pair of eyes greet her when she pops back up. "Pardon me miss, but could you possibly direct me to the sheet music?"

"Delbert," she says, nearly choking on her lunch as she swallows it whole. Her eyes water at the tugging in her throat. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for sheet music," he reiterates.

Ally leads him over to their selection, lingering as he paws through the books. Over her shoulder she can see Austin's eyes darting over at her. His body stays with the girl.

His laugh echoes through the entire room.

"Are you looking for someone in particular?" Stepping beside him, she thumbs through the pages.

Swiveling around to make eye contact, he nods.

"I was looking for you." He turns back to the display. "The sheet music was a bonus."

It's a good thing her blush doesn't echo as loudly as his laugh. Only Delbert notices.

His laugh doesn't echo either.

"For what?"

His phone rings, and he checks caller ID. He excuses himself for a moment, and when he returns, he's grinning wide.

"Guess who got a callback?"

"That's awesome!" She jumps into his open arms and something feels so right. She doesn't want to let go.

Neither does he.

"Ally!" Austin, who had received his own phone call moments after, turns around.

Suddenly, he doesn't feel like shouting anymore. He kind of wants to kick something. Preferably his face, to make it back a few hundred feet away from hers.

Recoiling her arms, she walks over to him. "Did you get a callback?"

"I got a callback." He scoops her into his arms, lifting her off the ground. His nose comes in contact with the smell of another man's cologne. Delbert. He's watching them, averting his eyes to the sheet music when he's caught.

"Congratulations. You're a shoo-in for the part."

"Heart?"

"Part, Austin. Not heart."

He hopes she's wrong about that last part.

_(the callback)_

She drives him to callbacks, and ends up sitting wedged between him and Delbert.

"So your name is Dilbert, like the comic?" Austin asks, using conversation as an excuse to lean into Ally's side.

"Delbert, with an 'e.' It's a common misconception," he replies, leaning into her other side.

"Oh."

"Yeah, my parents named me after some Americana singer-songwriter. Music is big in our family."

The conversation takes a positive turn there, and at some point Ally asks if they'd like to sit next to each other instead. Both refuse, saying that they're fine.

Truthfully, neither wants to leave her side.

The woman in charge finally arrives, sipping from her low fat mocha.

"Sorry everybody, traffic was horrendous. Everyone into the gymnasium." A group of tall blonds and short brunettes filter into the room. Ally waits out in the hallway. The woman jerks her head at her.

"I'm not auditioning. I'm here for emotional support."

"Then get your butt in there and emotionally support. I only have this room until three."

Obeying orders, Ally scurries into the gym, taking a seat on the front bleacher.

"I'm going to crush you," the girl next to her threatens through a bleach white smile.

"I'm not-" she starts, getting cut off by the ear piercing squelch of a megaphone being turned on.

"Today I'm going to test your ability to convey chemistry with another actor. As you'll notice, there are twelve of you, six girls, and six boys. By the end of today, you'll be cut in half. Those of you selected will move onto the final audition, where you may earn the coveted role of Langston or Leslie. Any questions?"

One of the girls raises her hand. "Can I go to the bathroom?"

The megaphone squawks again. "Yes. And don't come back."

Her jaw drops. The rest of her remains still. She does the same forceful head jerk, telling her to get lost.

Descending the steps, she mutters something undecipherable under her breath.

"Anyone else need to use the bathroom?" They hush up. Letting her finger fly through the air, she matches the hopefuls together. Without the girl, there's an uneven number. "Looks like you're out."

"Can I be partners with Ally?"

"Who's Ally?"

Delbert points at her gaping mouth. "She doesn't have to be considered for the part, but I think that I deserve a chance to prove that I'm the right choice for Langston."

And for Ally.

_(later that day)_

Exiting the gymnasium, having survived the cut, Austin wraps an arm around Ally's waist. Luckily once one of the boys had been cut Delbert had been reassigned partners, and she had been relocated to the bleachers, where he could see her, not flirting with another boy.

"She's a-." Ally knocks her elbow into Delbert's stomach as the woman passes by.

"All of this for a part in a film festival movie. It's not even the big screen," Austin complains, tugging her closer as the janitor comes through with his floor cleaner.

"Actually, I saw the screen last year, and it is pretty big."

At this point, he's questioning if he wants the role if it means working with that woman.

He still wants Ally's heart though.

_(the eve of the final callback)_

Trish convinces him that it would be a good career move to stay in the movie. Something to add to his resume, another threat to add to his list. Sure, he's been in Dez's films, but this time he has to prove himself worthy of the part, be more than best friends with the director. The one that didn't secure a spot in the festival this year because he'd been too busy competing against Chuck in a knitting war to remember the deadline. No movie, no first place trophy. Just an afghan that he'll never use. Nobody uses afghans in Miami.

Except for Austin, who's drinking warm milk, curled up underneath it, trying to fall asleep. It's only seven, but his nerves are getting to him, and he wants a good night's rest for the morning.

Every time he closes his eyes, all he sees is Ally and Delbert, together.

"_I brought you a bandage."_

"_For what?"_

"_Your heart. It's time we fix what's broken."_

"_I'm not broken."_

She kissed his cheek. An unscripted kiss, mind you, plenty of ammo to shatter his spirit.

He's not going to fall asleep.

Time to turn on the lullabies.

_(the final callback)_

The wretched woman is back, and when Ally enters the gymnasium, she yanks her aside to talk. Not pulls, yanks.

"Flirt with Dilbert."

"Delbert."

"Whatever. Austin needs to show me that he can portray jealousy today, or he's going to get cut." She takes a long sip of her coffee.

"How does flirting with Delbert help?"

Ignoring her question, the woman walks away. She joins the others on the bleachers, making sure to get a seat next to him. Her palm glides over his for comfort. He catches her, entwining fingers.

There's that agitated grunt of his.

By the time it's his turn to perform the scene, the man from the first audition stepping in as role of Leslie's future ex-boyfriend, he's grumpy. His face is set in a permanent scowl, and he nails it.

"_What does he have that I don't?"_

"_Me."_

The third boy gets cut, and as Ally cozies up close to Delbert's side, Austin proves himself one last time.

"_You deserve better than this. You deserve more than all the crap he puts you through. And it doesn't have to be me. But tell me, why can't it?"_

"_Because love hurts more than his fists ever will."_

"_I would never hurt you. I love you to the ends of the earth and back."_

This time he kisses the girl through a stream of tears.

He gets the part.

_(at the premiere)_

Delbert takes a seat next to Ally, hugging her hello. He waves at Austin.

"So I heard that tomorrow marks your three month anniversary. A quarter of the year already. Congrats you two."

"Thanks." She links hands with her boyfriend.

The movie rolls, and at Austin's first scene, he can't help but noticing how big his head looks.

"Told you it's a big screen."

It is, and it's playing quite the love story. Some scripted life that he never really led, with a girl he never really loved. Sure, his relationship with Ally isn't perfect. But it's real.

And it's his.


End file.
